Last Updated on March 31, 2023, 8:30 PM | Published: March 30, 2023
As we wrap up Women’s History Month here at the end of March, there might be no better time to highlight the incomparably creative women at the forefront of the city’s music scene, spearheading practically every genre and style OKC’s sonic community has to offer.
Even just a quick look at any of Oklahoma’s disparate, exploding scenes shines a light on the power and dynamism of the woman-fronted acts leading the way, like Nia Mone’s neo-soul, volatile hardcore punk rockers Inferna, and of course metal’s mighty Sisteria.
And with the OKC-based Rock and Roll Camp for Girls making its triumphant, post-pandemic return this July (applications are open April 3rd through 10th,) those ranks are only bound to grow.
From airy indie-rock to soulfully honest R&B to jazzy balladry and more, here are some of the best recent singles showcasing the full scope of OKC’s endlessly talented women.
Coat – “Who Needs Heaven”
There are very few bands or artists that can take an odd, off-kilter time signature like 7/4 and make it feel bouncy and weightless.
Well, count OKC’s recently unveiled Coat among that few.
The band’s debut single “Who Needs Heaven” kicks off with a perfectly George Harrison-esque acoustic strum riff that announces the precarious rhythm before singer Hannah Edmondson swirls into the picture with an airiness and hushed mystery pairing beautifully to the roll and momentum of the odd beat.
The band’s collective experience (with members having featured in multiple notable OKC acts over the past decade or so) shows in the effortless, fluid shifts between times and the slow-burn build toward the track’s eventual climax, making good on Edmondson’s lyrical themes of committing to the fires inside.
A remarkably tight and compelling introduction to what’s sure to be a major band to watch over the next couple of years.
Follow Coat on Instagram at @coat.music.
Ellesse – “Too Much”
A hazy, persistent, dreamlike piano riff welcomes you into this candid slow jam from singer/songwriter/actor/director Danielle Ellesse Smith, who has been making a recent splash in the OKC R&B game as simply Ellesse.
“Too Much” threads a surprisingly honest needle between empowerment and self-consciousness, recounting the fears of coming on too strong in a relationship alongside the kind of firm reassurances and pressure tactic advice you’d expect from your most blunt and brutal friends.
More than just an empowerment theme, however, the song could be an anthem for the unavoidable frustrations and confusions of dating in the social media age, juggling all the likes, trends, threats to your own confidence, and worries of overbearance.
So maybe it’s not a romantic slow dance track, but it’s perfect for those insomniac late nights when you’re wide awake and second guessing all of your dating decisions.
Follow Ellesse online at facebook.com/ellessemusic and on Instagram at @allofthegoodnamesaretaken.
Bee & the Hive – “Monster”
With a delicate, liltingly jazzy backdrop from the Hive, singer Bee Pichardo takes that same self-consciousness and open-book honesty to an even deeper level, exploring the spaces between inviting in your own demons and holding yourself responsible for the damage done by someone careless.
Framed by a kind of mid-century Euro jazz that’s normally reserved for stylish romances and torch songs, the “monster” in question is not an external force stalking its prey, but rather the helpless magnetism and hapless curiosity that pulls you toward someone bad for you.
As the waltz behind Pichardo and the object of her potentially misplaced affection swells, their dance becomes a one-sided plea to keep some distance, lest the passions turn ugly and end poorly.
A track full of space, restraint, and surprising maturity (both musical and emotional) all set on a trajectory toward the fantastically effective moments when Pichardo’s voice rises up to meet the song’s literal high notes.
Follow Bee & the Hive online at facebook.com/beeandthehive and on Instagram at @beeandthehiveband.
LABRYS – “Satisfaction”
Once again, singer/songwriter Penny Pitchlynn, as LABRYS, defends her title as one of the most effective and laser-focused songsmiths on the scene.
“Satisfaction” – despite its short four minutes – is a lot of things simultaneously: a hyper-personal reflection on your own insatiability, a celebration of sorts for your own desires and earned demands, and even a clever and open deconstruction of the Stones’ unkillable anthem of entitlement.
For Pitchlynn, the satisfaction she’s searching for isn’t about the creature comforts and social standing of that classic track, but the needed high of an addict and the wake of destruction they’re willing to justify in the search for another hit, another party, or just another momentary connection.
The track’s garage-y, grungey blues cruises along with a mid-tempo urgency like a wide-eyed highway sprint through the desert on a lost weekend, giving way occasionally to washes of affected guitar standing in for the chaos of a mind on fire for a fix.
Follow LABRYS online at facebook.com/iamlabrys and on Instagram at @iamlabrys.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
